Finding 20460 (2022-005)

FISCAL YEAR OF FINDING: 2022 AUDITOR FINDING: 2022-005 Eligibility. We noted the following issues in the 40 cases tested: 1. Four instances in which income was incorrectly calculated based on information maintained in case file. 2. One instance in which there was inadequate documentation to support eligibility determination within the case file. 3. One instance in which the Colorado Works Referral form was not processed timely. 4. Two instances in which the County' eligibility authorization notes for the period selected did not agree to CHATS. Recommendation: We recommend that the County continue to strengthen the internal controls surrounding the eligibility process, specifically continuing the use and monitoring of case reviews to help identify potential areas for additional training. CLIENT PLANNED ACTION: Jefferson County agrees with the findings. There continues to be improvement each year in the overall findings, which demonstrates that the strategies previously implemented had the desired impact. However, the continued findings require additional action steps. Jefferson County will continue and implement the following actions to address and prevent future errors. ? The CCAP supervisor will continue reviewing available reports in CHATS to target untimely closures and follow up on potential erroneous case closures. Reports include the RE301, RE224, and RE115. Any case needing action will be assigned for completion within 5 business days and reviewed to ensure corrections were completed. ? Monthly case reviews will continue, at three levels, to assess case and payment accuracy. o The Jeffco Human Services Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) team will review 1% of the caseload monthly, utilizing the state mandated list. o The State Program Integrity Office will review cases monthly to monitor case and payment accuracy. o CCAP Supervisor and/or Lead Worker will review cases as follows: - The CCAP Supervisor will complete a minimum of two case reviews per worker per month. The number and type of review may be adjusted based on individual staff performance. Income and parent fee calculations will be targeted using the primary activity report in CHATS. The Lead Worker will fulfill this function if the Supervisor is out of the office. - 5% of all applications and redeterminations will be reviewed by the CCAP Supervisor or Lead Worker prior to approval. Jefferson County?s Internal Auditor has also been trained on the eligibility process and may review cases prior to approval to support the team. Eligibility Specialists will utilize a pre-authorization checklist when submitting the selected cases for review. The checklist was developed and implemented to assist workers in accurately entering and checking their data entry and eligibility determination. New CCAP Eligibility Specialists will have 100% of cases reviewed prior to approval until accuracy rates reach 95%, at which point preauthorization reviews will be reduced incrementally based on performance. o All responses to IQA or State Program Integrity regarding corrections or resolutions to cases will be documented and provided to the CCAP Supervisor/Program Manager within 2-5 business days, depending on the identified deadline, and will include screen shots verifying corrections prior to submittal. o Monthly meetings between the Division Director, Program Integrity Manager, Program Integrity Supervisor, Quality Assurance Supervisor, CCAP Program Manager, and CCAP Supervisor will continue in order to discuss performance and progress related to quality assurance and program integrity. Prior to the meeting, the Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) team will provide monthly reports for review and analysis. During the meetings, data and trends will be reviewed utilizing the aforementioned reports, which include error type, accuracy, and error increase/reduction over the year. In addition, training needs for staff will be discussed based on the supervisory, Internal Quality Assurance (IQA), and State level review findings and monitoring strategies will be developed to address areas of concern. ? Monthly review data is incorporated into all individual and leadership performance milestones. Milestones are the county?s employee performance management system. Continued errors or lack of progress and improvement will be addressed via the county Employee Relations coaching and disciplinary framework. ? Effective January 1, 2023, Jefferson County launched an updated model for service delivery and workload management utilizing an internal system, GenApp. The utilization of GenApp: o Improved document storage, o Increased oversight related to workload and timeliness as all pending actions can be viewed by type, date received and due date, o Simplified workload coverage due to employee leave or vacancies, o Removed inconsistencies in customer service, o Improved available reports. ? The Colorado Works Referral inbox has been prioritized by the CCAP Supervisor/Lead Worker for review and timely completion. ? Supplementary income training will be developed and delivered starting in October 2023 and continue on a quarterly basis to provide a review of income rules, calculation, common errors, and answer questions. CLIENT RESPONSIBLE PARTY: Tara Noble (Program Manager) and Monie Salgado (CCAP Supervisor) COMPLETION DATE: October 2023